1.6 Million people, mostly children, die every year from disease related to unclean water and poor sanitation. Life Force Kiosks, a non-profit operating in Kenya, was formed to help provide clean water to all.

Safari pics and water kiosk update

As promised, here are some pictures of the safari in Maasai Mara. I don’t want to clutter the Clean Water For All Flickr album with safari pictures, so I created a new album specifically for these. I’ll add more over the weekend. Some of my favorites are below.

Back to why I’m actually here, I spent the day back in Kibera to conduct more market research. After speaking with several residents, I’m still quite confident that the water kiosk model will be successful in Kibera. At first I was a bit nervous because most people I spoke with aren’t currently treating their water. Around Kitale, that was usually an indicator that they would not be interested in the kiosk model. However, the people in Kibera are already used to paying for water, and cholera and typhoid are constant threats. While many realize that the water is treated at the source, they also understand that by the time it goes through the pipes and they bring it home, the water could be recontaminated. In general, most were fine with paying 7 shillings per 20 liters, and some were okay up to 10 shillings. At those prices, I think the model is financially viable.

Lion Cubs

I had another great break when I met with Andrew, the branch manager of Jamii Bora, a micro-finance institution working in Kibera. Andrew was working on a slightly different kiosk concept with an organization called Microfinance Without Borders. I spoke with both organizations and they were extremely supportive of the idea. Andrew has offered to work with me to drive the project forward, starting with setting up a meeting with the District Officer of the area. If the DO supports the idea, it will make it much easier to proceed. Hopefully we’ll be able to meet tomorrow, in which case I’ll be sure to post an update.

Over the weekend I plan to post a few stories that Emmanuel told me about the Maasai culture. You don’t want to miss them, so make sure you check back soon.